I have copied this message posted on the London-Companys (sic) List. Does any India-Raj lister know anything about this? In my ignorance I didn't know pagodas, ducats, etc were used in the Australian colonies. Very interesting. Gordon Message: 1 Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:56:37 +1000 From: Caroline Gaden <[email protected]> Subject: [LONDON-COMPANYS] Currency for trading overseas To: [email protected] Hello Everyone I've been researching the monetary system in New South Wales from the arrival of the First Fleet and now have a better understanding of the mish-mash of various currencies in use eg Spanish dollars [minted in Mexico], rupee, mohur, pagoda, ducat, Johanna, promisary notes etc. In 1825 the British Government decreed that all 'colonies' should use the ? sterling as their basis but it took quite a while for this to take effect and the non-Sterling coins to disappear [about ten years in NSW]. My questions relate to the East India Company in particular.... did they have a similar variety of currency in use.... if something was bought in India, what coinage would have been used? Was Sterling is use from the earliest days or would the local currency have been acceptable? Also what goods would the East Indiamen have carried out to India and what coinage would they have been sold for? Many thanks Caroline